Fifth-wheel.



No. 738,789. I PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

I E. P. GAINBS.

FIFTH WHEEL.

APPLICATION. FILED APR. 8, 1903.

N0 MODELv UNITED STATES EDWARD P. GAINES, OF YOUNG, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IE'atented September 15, 1903.

OTTO E. SMITH, OF YOUNG, TENNESSEE.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,789, dated September 15, 1903.

Application filed April 8, 1903. Serial No- 151,644. (No model- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatLEDWARD P.GAINES,a citizen of the United States, residing at Young, in the county of Giles and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Fifth-lVheel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fifth-wheels for vehicles, and has for its objects to produce a device of this character which will be simple of construction,efficient in operation, strong and durable in its general organization, and one which is provided with an oil-cup adapted to receive the king-bolt and to carry a supply of oil for properly lubricating the same to admit of the bolt moving freely and without friction during the operation of the device.

To these ends the invention comprises the details of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the front axle of the vehicle, which may be of any suitable or desired construction, provided with an integral centrally-disposed horizontal annular bearing member 2. Secured to the front axle by bolts or otherwise and resting on the bearing member 2 is an annular bearing-plate 3, known in the trade as the fullcircle of the fifth -wheel. Formed integral with the bearing-plate 3 and centrally thereof is an oil-cup 4, which when the parts are assembled receives the king-bolt 5, the side wall of the oil-cupbeing slotted throughout onehalf of its circumference, as at 6, to permit the insertion of a horizontal bolt 7, which is tapped into the king-bolt for removably securing the same in place. The bolt 7 has transverse annular perforations formed through its head for the reception of a suitable bar or the like for turning the same. The bearingplate 3 has formedthereon a vertical peripheral flange 8, the function of which will be hereinafter described.

The king-bolt 5 is formed integral with the front head-block or spring-rest 9, which also has formed thereon integral depending flanges 10, horizontally flanged at their lower ends to form shoes which when the parts are assembled rest and travel upon the bearingplate 3 to sustain the head-block and prevent undue lateral strains upon the king-bolt.

11 indicates the perch pole, which is provided with side braces 12 and a lower brace 13, all securely bolted thereto, and with an integral rearwardly-extending horizontal fork 14c, which has its end seated in a perforation formed transversely through the body of the head block vertically over the king-bolt. Bolted to the perch-pole is a semicircular bearing plate or member 15, known in the art as the half-circle of the fifthwheehand provided at its ends with suitable spindles 16,

which are seated in annular perforations formed transversely through the head-block, thus in conjunction with the fork 14 securing the perch-pole and firmly and securely bracing and strengthening the parts.

In practice the king-bolt is seated in the oil-cup and the bolt 7 inserted through the slot in the cup and tapped into the king-bolt to secure the same in position, the slot 6 being of a sufficient length to permit the axle swinging at right angles to its normal position. The cup is then supplied with lubricant to prevent friction of the parts during the turn of the bolt in the cup. Any oil which may escape from the cup will be received upon the bearing-plate 3 and prevented from escaping therefrom'by means of its peripheral flange. Thus this surplus oil will serve to lubricate the bearing-plate during the travel of the lower ends of the flanges 1O thereover. In this connection it is to be noted thatthe peripheral flange on the bearing-plate will also serve as a-guide and hearing for the end of the perch-pole, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I produce a device which is strong and durable, eflicient in operation, and one in which the king-bolt will at all times be properly lubricated and will be freefrom lateral strain, and in attaining these ends I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details herein shown and described, inasmuch as such changes therein as may be found desirable or necessary in practice may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a fifth-wheel for vehicles, the combination with an axle, of a horizontal bearingplate sustained thereby, an oil-cup carried by the bearing-plate and having its wall slotted horizontally, a head-block, a king-bolt carried thereby and seated for rotation in the oil-cup, and a bolt inserted through the slot in the Wall of the cup and tapped into the king-bolt.

2. In a fifth-wheel for vehicles, the combination with an axle, of a horizontal bearingplate sustained thereby and having an up- Wardly-extending peripheral flange, an oilcup carried by the bearing-plate and having its Wall slotted horizontally, a head-block having a king-bolt seated for rotation in the oil-cup, a boltinserted through the slot in the wall of the cup and tapped into the kingbolt, and depending flanges carried by the head-block and provided at their lower ends with shoes bearing upon the horizontal bear ing-plate within its peripheral flange.

3. In a fifth-wheel for vehicles, the combination with an axle, of a horizontal bearingplate sustained thereby and having an upwardly-extending peripheral flange, an oilcup carried by the bearing-plate and having its wall slotted transversely, a head-block having a king-bolt seated for rotation in the oil-cup, a bolt inserted through the slot in the Wall of the cup and tapped into the kingbolt, depending flanges carried by the headblock and provided at their lower ends With shoes bearing upon the horizontal bearing,

plate within its peripheral flange, and a perchpole con neoted with the head-block and bearing at its end upon the outer face of the bearing-plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDIVARD P. GAINES.

Witnesses:

BENJ. E. NEWTON, FOREST G. NEWTON. 

